Household Hazardous Waste

Household Hazardous Waste (HHW)

Household hazardous waste is any discarded household material that is classified as toxic, flammable, combustible, explosive, corrosive or reactive. Packaging may include any of these words or “danger”, “warning”, “poison”, “caution”. Examples include cleaning agents such as bleach, ammonia or antibacterial soaps; paint products such as oil based paint, paint thinner, varnish or paint strippers; pesticides and herbicides; petroleum products such as gasoline or motor oil; drain cleaner; furniture polish; prescription medicines, aerosols, pool chemicals, the list goes on and on.

HHW makes up a relatively small percentage of the waste stream, and hazardous materials generated by households are not banned from landfills. However, the danger posed from these materials to residents, sanitation workers and the environment is significant, and the district felt it was necessary to provide alternatives to landfilling for HHW.

Household Hazardous Waste Collection Centers

The Meramec Regional Planning Commission (MRPC), through a grant from the Ozark Rivers Solid Waste Management District (ORSWMD), and the cities of Rolla and St. Robert have set up household hazardous waste (HHW) satellite collection centers located at the Rolla Recycling Center and the St. Robert Transfer Station and Recycling Center. These two collection centers accept HHW materials from residents in the Ozark Rivers District, which includes Crawford, Dent, Gasconade, Maries, Phelps, Pulaski and Washington counties. The service is free but appointments are required. The materials collected are recycled or properly treated by the contractor.